Chapter 477
Alice von Ataraxia.
Once one of the most exalted of the Elders, she was cast out and ruined by the other Clan Heads.
Trapped for ages within the Corridor of the Fallen, she lost her light and slowly faded from the memories of many.
But none of this happened simply because the Clan Heads decided so.
It wasn’t even Excension who led the effort.
Nyarlathotep raised his voice.
“Alice… that troublesome wretch should’ve been killed, not exiled. We should’ve followed the original plan.”
“Plans change all the time.”
“That may be, but don’t you think she’s regaining her strength too fast? I told you we should’ve crushed her completely from the start… And thanks to that, Kang Jinhyuk has become more dangerous than any climber before him.”
The strongest player.
That brazen human aiming for the top of the tower was still climbing, even now.
And with formidable allies joining his side, no less.
“Yeah, I’ll admit he’s moving faster than expected. He’s doing well… no, better than I expected. Still, it’s all within the margin of assumption.”
The shadow casually dusted off his hands.
“Now’s the best time to take care of Alice. Trust me—it’s coming from me, after all.”
Indeed…
If it was this man speaking, there was no choice but to believe him.
After all, he was the one who surpassed not only the top-level administrators and the system itself, but even the ancient beings.
No matter who came, as long as this monster stood in the way, reaching the top of the tower was an impossibility.
Still, there was no shaking the unease.
Alice’s existence was threatening enough to overturn all foundations.
‘She’s the most dangerous variable… and yet, even though you always say she should die, you never actually make a move.’
Nyarlathotep stared into the other’s eyes.
It wasn’t out of fear.
If anything, it was a craving for stimulation—to break his own boredom.
Yes, that was the most fitting explanation.
‘Unless he truly wants a blade that can ruin his perfection… there’s no reason to toy with fire like this.’
Though the reason for this sadistic, dangerous game was unknown, one thing was clear: targeting Alice now meant he had his own reasoning.
“If you wish, I can go down and eliminate Alice myself. Or I could move Rick Hennessy or the Old Guard.”
“Tsk, that’s no fun. Gotta leave her some room to squirm, at least.”
“…Are you really sure about this? If Alice’s seal breaks…”
Nyarlathotep trailed off.
Judging by the other’s bored expression, there was no use in trying to persuade him.
“You can go now. Tell Azathoth and Shub-Niggurath not to worry—he won’t reach the 50th floor.”
“…I’d like to believe that, but my father’s mood hasn’t been great. There’s a chance he could wake from the ‘dream.’”
Azathoth’s authority was absolute.
Especially if he awoke from the most powerful restriction of all—his “dream”—then there would be no answer.
“Hmm. That’d be a pain… if the tower disappears, it’ll be troublesome in a lot of ways. Guess I’ll have to add a few more shackles.”
“That’s not a fundamental solution. You know what our contract entails.”
“I know, I know. Geez, why so serious? It’s not like this is the first time.”
“…Of course. Just speaking out of concern, that’s all.”
Nyarlathotep bowed again.
The die had already been cast.
All that remained was to follow the flow of this massive scheme the man had set in motion.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
The higher one flies, the harder they fall.
Guntafer, who had risen to prominence among the Demon Kings, was now facing the worst moment of his life.
“Grrk… khak, hahh… hahhh…”
His breathing was ragged, his body covered in blood and dust.
His proud horns and dignified authority had long since vanished.
All his subordinates had turned their backs on him. And even now, countless enemies were tightening their encirclement to take his life.
“Those damn angels betrayed me too?”
Uriel and Kizakiel.
They’d cooperated so well when they had a shared objective, yet once things turned dire, they were the first to vanish back to Eden.
This is why you never deal with feathered bastards…
But regretting it now was meaningless.
With his mana and stamina fully depleted, this ravine would be his grave.
The only consolation was that he might die before falling into enemy hands.
At least coming to this hidden, remote place had paid off.
Guntafer collapsed by the edge of a cliff.
Only the Sword of Cabalado dangled from his fingertips, barely hanging on.
Just then—
Step.
There was movement.
And with it, the most hated voice in the world.
“You really ran far. Damn… I didn’t think you’d actually slip through all those pursuit squads.”
“Told you he’s more persistent than a cockroach. Alright, I won, so transfer the 3 million coins now.”
Berial.
And that loathsome human—Kang Jinhyuk.
Not only was the pairing of Demon King and human absurd in itself, but what irritated Guntafer even more was the way they casually chatted over his dying body.
“Ehem. Couldn’t you go easy on me? I lost my entire territory—there’s no way I can cough up that many coins right now.”
“Now now. Aren’t you a Demon King? Trying to scam a player? You’ll be getting a fat new territory soon, right? Better settle your debts cleanly if you want to maintain your dignity.”
“W-who said I wouldn’t pay! I’m just saying it’s a bit tight at the moment! Hrm! How about giving me a little extension? I’ll pay in a week.”
“That’s fine too. But if it’s a week late, it comes with 100% interest. So that’s 6 million coins. You could always put up some sacred relics or a share of your territory instead. How about a neat 20%?”
“That’s more than the principal! The interest is bigger than the debt itself!”
“Not my problem. If you don’t like it, pay up now.”
“…Even a loan shark from Hell wouldn’t be this bad.”
Berial ground his teeth.
Meanwhile, the two of them had reached right in front of Guntafer.
“You… bastards…”
Guntafer struggled to lift his sword.
The blade trembled violently under its own weight.
“Don’t push yourself. If your mana starts surging in reverse, that little time you’ve got left will run out instantly. Not that it changes the fact you’re going to die anyway.”
Fwoosh!
A gray flame ignited along the blade of [Crimson Lotus].
It was the result of simultaneously activating [Blessing of the Stars] and [Blood Demonic Energy].
“W-what are you trying to do?”
“From now on, you’re going to tell me everything that’s hidden within your territory.”
Not the visible warehouses, but the hidden vaults where only the most important treasures were kept.
That was the goal—those relics and sacred items.
“Of course, you’re free to resist, but the pain will last a very long time. I’ll burn you with divine power, heal you with blood demonic energy, then burn you again.”
Theoretically, an eternal torture cycle was possible.
And considering all the trouble he’d caused so far, Jinhyuk had every intention of doing exactly that.
“A Demon King of the Demon Realm like me… would never yield to such threats—arghhhh!”
Guntafer screamed at the top of his lungs as a dagger sank into his abdomen.
It had struck a nerve-dense area, and the effect was immediate.
“Ughhh… Gyaaahhh!”
“Come on, hang in there. You can’t give up your pride that easily now, can you?”
A twisted smile curled on Jinhyuk’s lips.
“Now, open wide. Here comes the heal.”
As if relieving all the stress he’d built up, the long, long torture train began.
⁕How much time had passed?
“…It’s there.”
Guntafer finally spilled everything.
He even recited what he’d had for dinner a month ago. At that point, Jinhyuk had essentially gotten everything he wanted.
“Thanks.”
Stab.
He drove the blade into Guntafer’s heart, ending his life.
[Your level has increased!]
[Your level has increased!]
[Your level has…]
[…increased!]
A flurry of level-up notifications appeared.
As expected from one of the pillars that supported the Demon Realm, he gained a whopping ten levels.
Considering the amount of experience required for each level, that was an absurd increase.
‘Probably because I skipped multiple stages.’
Nice. Very nice.
At the same time,
The restrictions on Behemoth and Chun Yoosung were lifted as well.
It had been a long and grueling fight, but the mountain of rewards that followed made it all worthwhile.
‘[Grasp of Subjugation] and level-ups… those are the biggest gains.’
And the relics stored in the treasure vault would definitely come in handy.
Finally…
Jinhyuk tore off the gem hanging from Guntafer’s neck.
[You have acquired the ‘Crimson Bloodstone’ of the Fifth Demon King, Guntafer.]
[You have acquired the divine relic of the Demon God, ‘Sword of Cabalado.’]
The gemstone said to be the minimum qualification for a Demon King.
And a sword rivaling even Balmung in power.
The rewards from this floor far exceeded expectations.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
A day had passed since everything in the Demon Realm had been resolved.
Though cleaning up after Guntafer kept them busy, all necessary tasks had been completed in a short span.
First off, Berial devoured Guntafer’s territory along with the Demon Realm’s prime real estate.
Seherth, the administrator who had been scraping by on a shoestring budget, couldn’t stop smiling.
He had gone from a countryside administrator to a major city’s chancellor in the blink of an eye—it was only natural he was overjoyed.
Eden, having overstepped too far, wouldn’t be able to move for a while.
And…
The true instigator of all this chaos—Veteran Corporation—had left the Demon Realm after merely tossing more logs onto the fire.
Currently, on the 31st floor of the Tower of Trials:
“Aaaargh!”
“S-somebody save me!”
“What the hell is going on?!”
All the members were going through extreme suffering.
“Kahahaha! This is the trial of warriors with burning hearts! The Barbarian Rite of Passage!”
“Indeed! I like it! Blood! Sweat! Guttural breathing! I must report this to Heavenly Demon and have it implemented in our cult as well!”
Pudalak and the Dark Emperor burst into roaring laughter.
Amid the screams and shouts, the real Barbarian Rite of Passage had begun.
‘This is seriously insane.’
Jinhyuk licked his lips.
He had expected the rite to be tough, but this was madness in a whole different way.
It was so sadistic, 90 out of 100 participants could die without anyone blinking.
Especially the part where they had to enter a cave filled with vipers and find one with a different head pattern…
That wasn’t a test. It was a death sentence.
“It’s just tickling.”
“Poison’s good for nutrition!”
“Right! I mix it with rice!”
“But my arm’s numb. Is that normal?”
“That just means you lack willpower.”
“True! I got bitten all over and now my arms doubled in size. Look!”
“Oooooh! It’s blue, but it really did grow! Ukanpa! You’re truly a great warrior!”
Seeing these barbarian maniacs treat it as completely normal made Jinhyuk’s scalp tingle.
The biggest headache of all was the requirement that participants had to suppress their mana to feel the pure passion of muscle.
They even had to wear mana-sealing shackles that weighed over 10kg on each wrist.
“This is just the warm-up… right?”
“Indeed! The real trial begins at sunrise!”
“And I don’t have to participate directly, correct?”
“You are the leader of a group. Your qualification will be determined by whether your members pass.”
In short, he just needed to stand back and guide his team.
Hooh.
Is that so…
Jinhyuk turned his gaze to Alice, Chun Yoosung, Teresa, and the spirit beasts.
